The inspiration behind the London Edit

To celebrate the biggest sporting event of the year in Rio, the 11-piece limited edition London Edit follows British athletes on their journey to the podium. On the eve of the opening ceremony, Sweaty Betty Founder and Creative Director Tamara Hill-Norton shares the inspiration behind this innovative collection.

When I was designing the London Edit, I loved the idea of following the struggle made by young athletes. They are so driven by an inner desire to achieve, that despite coming from a variety of backgrounds this one event unites them as a team. With this in mind, I wanted to create pieces these women could wear on and off the podium from London to Rio, covering every mainstream sport from sprinting to swim.

Inspired by my time in Rio last year, I wanted to ensure these limited edition pieces were more than your average activewear by adding a Brazilian edge. Looking back to the sixties when Rio was in its heyday, I designed the London Edit with a real vintage vibe including retro shapes and cut-out details. I’m particularly excited about the swimwear, Rio’s Ipanema beach is one of my favourite places so I wanted it to have a real surfer girl vibe.

Proud to be British, the entire collection is designed in patriotic red, white and blue shades. The colours and silhouettes recall London's Carnaby Street in its prime, these peplum jackets and flared shapes wouldn't look out of place on the it girls of the day. We’ve included a seriously cool laser cut Union Jack detail - this is not quite on a Spice Girls level but the Stadium Over Tee layered over leggings has to be my favourite way to fly the British flag.

In true Sweaty Betty style, each piece is as high performance as it is beautiful. We have used our most technical, sculpting and sweat-wicking fabrics to create one of a kind designs that perform equally on the track as the street (though you’d be brave to wear the tri-suit out of the water). I love that these performance fabrics add a futuristic edge to the collection, bringing it firmly into 2016.